Under My Feet
by Miss Crossbow
Summary: Erika Mizuno is anything but an ordinary girl. Because of her abilities, she had no friends. Loneliness was killing her and led her into despair, and she wished to die. Her wish got granted, but she got a little more than she asked for. Multi-chapter. GrimmjowxOC. R&R please!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Eyo! So, I wanted to try out writing another multi-chapter fic, and considering that I got my Bleach obsession back, it was a piece of cake. xD The main character is an OC I came up with. She's nothing much, but, guess she'll do good for this story. And I'd also like to thank my sempai, AverageApple, for encouraging me to write again. You're the best sempai ever. :)**

**Aight, R&R, and of course, enjoy!**

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**1. Deathday**

"Bye mom!" Erika shouted as she exited her courtyard and stepped on the sidewalk.

"Bye sweetheart! Be careful!" the old woman stood on the doorstep and waved towards her daughter.

The girl didn't look back. She slowly paced down the street, lost in her own thoughts. She didn't look forward to school. She never really did. But who would look forward to going to a place of, for her at least, mischief, bullying and pure despair and loneliness? God had turned his back to that place a long time ago, she thought. Erika never had any friends; each of her classmates found her weird and scary, because she often talked to herself and saw things none of them could.

The ginger hated her abilities, but they were simply there, whether she liked them or not. It didn't matter how hard she tried to ignore them and get rid of them, they would always wait for a moment to surprise her and send chills throughout her body. She still remembered the first time she felt their effect; a memory that would stay carved into her soul and mind forever. It was still so clear, like it happened yesterday. A boy from her neighborhood died in a car accident, and one day, while she was returning from school, she saw him sitting on the stairs of his house, his head buried in his hands. Erika didn't believe what she saw. She simply stood there, watching him, completely paralyzed. When he noticed her presence, he stood up; his ghostly being seemed so fragile and transparent. His skin was pale, and his eyes glowed with some strange, cold way that made even bones shiver. He walked up to her and asked of her to tell his mother that he misses her. But Erika stood frozen, and all she did was staring. And she stared…

The verdant-eyed girl shook her head. After that, more meetings of the same kind occurred. She had talked to many ghosts, but she could never get used to it. Many of her classmates and other people saw her doing so, and they thought she was a loony because it looked like she talked to herself, and they avoided her as much as possible.

Erika kicked a pebble out of her way, highly frustrated. She growled.

"What the hell is wrong with me?!" she pulled her auburn hair. "Why can't I be like everyone else?! I don't understand! If it's gonna stay like this, I don't want to live anymore!" she screamed, and tears burst down her cheeks. She stopped.

"I…I want to die." she murmured softly.

Erika raised her gaze to the sky; the clouds pleasantly followed the path the wind chose for them. They were so careless and fluffy; they didn't have to think about anything. They have no bothers or regrets, and they're surrounded by other clouds – friends. Something Erika longed for. A _friend_. Somebody who could love her and cherish her for who she is, even if she is a bit unusual. Not like she wanted to turn out that way. She didn't enjoy it herself. But over the last few years, she found less and less understanding, and she came to believe that there is no such person who could take a role of being her friend.

Wiping off the tears and frowning, Erika glanced at her wristwatch.

"1.21," she read, "I'll be late." She walked forward until she reached a roundabout and turned left on it. She looked at her watch again.

"1.24" she gulped. The last thing she needed now was tardiness. She'd get unwanted attention and, well…It wouldn't be pleasing.

Erika ran. Passing into the next street, she glanced to see if there was any traffic, and quickly ran into it. Then she made her way into a wide street on the right and waited for the traffic lights to flash green.

"1.26" she murmured somewhat impatiently. Finally, the green light was on, so she fast-walked to the other side of the street, and ran down the sidewalk until she reached the next one. There was a junction, and she stopped in front of it to catch her breath.

"1.28" she huffed exhausted. Two more minutes.

The ginger was on a move on again. She chose the left street and, at it its end saw her school. Getting closer to it, Erika saw a tall man on a red motorcycle just beside the school gate. He wore a black leather jacket and a pair of ripped jeans. His hairstyle was a little unusual – navy and really messy. He seemed as a quite laid-back and careless person.

She stopped to catch her breath yet again.

"1.29" was displayed on her watch. It was no good. She'd surely be late now.

Suddenly, the motorcyclist dropped a cigarette that he was, apparently, smoking, stomped it, and turned on his vehicle. He drove forwards, and it would seem that he would enter another street and leave, but instead, he made a sharp turn and stormed straight back to where he came from increasing speed by every moment. As he progressed down the street towards Erika, he started to lose control of the motorcycle. It changed its course to the sidewalk.

Erika's verdant eyes widened. The motorcycle was going straight for her. She stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do. For a moment, the navy-haired man's eyes met her own. Her whole life passed before her eyes – the loneliness, the despair, the tears. And at the end, this stranger's eyes.

Erika Mizuno sighed. She knew what was coming next. She didn't run; she wasn't afraid. She stood there and waited for her fate.

CRASH!

Two corpses lied next to one another, bathing into each other's blood. The girl's wristwatch had stopped, and its hands pointed on exactly 1.30. The school bell rang, and dark clouds hovered upon the town…

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**A/N: I plan to make this as long as possible, and the next chappie should be out soon. Ja ne til then. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: New chappie! Didn't take me too long to write, and I kinda like how it came out. Thanks for all the follows and views by now, you're all awesome! :D Enjoy!**

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**2. A New Beginning**

Erika finally opened her eyes. She's been lying for some time, but didn't have the courage to stand up. She had a throbbing headache which pierced her brain, and she rubbed her forehead as she was sitting up.

"What…Happened?" passed on her lips as she observed her surroundings; there was blood, lots of it. A broken motorcycle was a few meters away. But its owner was nowhere in sight. Did he get out alive?

Slowly remembering what had happened, Erika started to wonder how she was not feeling any pain. The amount of blood that spilled from her head was huge; it was dramatizing indeed. Gathering enough courage to get up on her feet and investigate the scene, Erika walked over to the motorcycle, and figured that the driver was under it; he was dead. And so was she. This is her spiritual form, she finally realized.

Erika turned around. Her body was resting on the stone sidewalk, crippled and trounced. Her verdant eyes were wide open and her face was covered in blood that came out of her mouth. She knelt and observed the broken wristwatch; 1.30. The time of her death. She shall remember it, forever.

Suddenly, she heard steps behind her.

"You're up" said a deep, manly voice. She turned around and immediately recognized who it was; the motorcyclist. He didn't seem very surprised or troubled by his death like Erika; he was still the same laid-back, careless chap he was when he was alive. He easily towered her and had a muscled body. The ginger stared at him, not knowing what to say.

And then it came to her.

"Thank you, mister" she bowed, and the man let out a loud scream of surprise.

"Huh?! You out of your mind?!" he exclaimed, "For what?"

"For…Killing me" said Erika after a brief pause. She made a small smile, which surprised the stranger even more.

"But, why the hell would you thank me for killing you?! You're supposed to be all pissed at me and stuff like that!" he said in a confused tone, messing his navy hair even more. What's up with this girl?

Erika looked away. She was twisting her thumbs.

"Well, you see…When I was alive, I…Didn't have any friends…Nobody loved me…So I wished to die…And then you came…And killed me…You granted my wish. Thank you, mister!" she murmured happily, and she shed tears of pure joy while bowing to the navy-haired biker once more. This threw him off completely.

"You're odd, y'know…Now, there must've been someone who loved you…Your family?" he questioned. He refused to believe the girl's story.

"Yes, my mother. But she loved me only because I was her daughter. Nobody loved me truly, you know. I…I'm glad that I died" Erika inferred. The man shrugged, giving out a small 'hmph'.

"Not like I was drowning in crowd either," he murmured, "So I kinda get you. Say, shall we stick together then, since we died together?"

Erika flinched. It was the first time anybody offered her company.

"A-Are you sure you would…Be with someone like me?" she asked with watery eyes, as her heartbeat got faster and faster.

"Sure. Why the hell wouldn't I? Spending the afterlife alone would be annoying as fuck, 'cause it's supposed to last forever, and forever's a long time, right?" this last sentence of his made Erika grin veritably for the first time in her life. She wanted to hug this stranger, who already did more for her than all the people she met in her lifetime, but she wasn't sure if he'd get angry if she did. He stared at her, and smiled as well.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. You better remember that!" he said proudly, and tapped his chest with his thumb. Erika nodded.

"I shall remember for sure. I'm Erika Mizuno, pleased to meet you…Grimmjow" she stretched out her arm, in a way like she wants to shake his hand. She remembered how her mother taught her to act when she meets someone new, but she never really needed it. Until now.

Grimmjow looked down at her hand, obviously not used to such a greeting. But after a few moments, he spread his arm as well, and they shook hands, staring directly into each other's eyes. And then they walked away, leaving their bodies and their past behind them, for a new life has begun.

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Two months had passed, and during the time they spent together, Erika and Grimmjow grew close to each other. They went wherever and did whatever they wanted. They had nothing except one another, and that was all they needed. But there was one thing that drew Grimmjow crazy since they met; Erika's shyness and a total lack of social life. He tried to break through the strong shell of loneliness and reticence that had formed around her over the years, but he never really managed to.

On Erika's part, Grimmjow was the dearest and friendliest being on the planet. Though he did have a short temper and he'd often yell at her because she was silent all the time. But it didn't matter; he was her friend and he cared for her, and that was it. Just what she'd been searching for. She thanked God for her death every day.

And you could say their life, or rather, afterlife was great, until they learnt about Soul Society.

It was an enormous surprise for both. The Shinigami who told them about it didn't introduce himself, but he assured them that they would be safe and could live peacefully at Soul Society. He also told them about the Hollows. Actually all he said was that they're evil beings and that they can march out of Hueco Mundo, their home, at any time, and that it's highly recommended for them to not become Hallows. Grimmjow asked him to tell more about the dark race, but the Shinigami was quite reluctant on the matter. Still, he told them about the Hollow revolution; Gillians, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde, roughly describing their abilities and appearances. In conclusion, he said that he'll give them some time to make up their minds, and then he left.

The day after, when the same Shinigami came again, Grimmjow answered that they refuse to go to the said Soul Society, and after that, the Shinigami murmured that since they chose the other option, they can count Soul Society as their enemy and eventual assaulter. Then he left.

"But, Grimm, why didn't you want to go? Do you want to turn evil?" Erika questioned upon the Shinigami's departure.

"It's not about being good or evil, Eri, it's about power; why would we waste our time chilling in some damned 'society' while we can lead far more interesting lives? We can become Vasto Lorde, and rule Hueco Mundo and do whatever we want! I'd rather choose an eventful eternity of battling and fighting than a boring eternity of resting my ass doing nothing! Wouldn't you?" Grimmjow spoke with excitement and confidence, grinning widely at the end of each sentence. Erika sighed.

"Eh? You don't agree?" he asked disappointed upon seeing her sigh.

"No, it's just," she looked back at him, "I want you to know that I'll follow you wherever you go. You saved me from being alone; you made me smile for the first time in my life. And I made a vow that I'd be loyal to you no matter what. That's how I'll show my gratitude. I don't care where do I end up or what do I have to do; what matters is that I'm with you." She joyfully nodded towards him, and he showed signs of relief once he heard her answer.

"Sheesh, and for a second I thought that you were gonna leave or something" Grimmjow rubbed the back of his head and grinned playfully. He hugged Erika with his right hand and held her tight. The ginger enjoyed his grip and touch a lot; it was a blessing to her. Suddenly, their glances met, and their faces were getting closer and closer. Erika wasn't aware what was going on, but Grimmjow was, so he quickly looked away, trying to hide his blush.

"Grimm?" the ginger questioned confused.

"I'm fine. We better start searching for Hueco Mundo. Come on!" the navy-haired man loosened his grip, and stood up, eyes fixated on the horizon.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Aaaand another one! Took me awhile. I don't think the next one will come out very soon, because my holiday is ending tomorrow, and I'm starting school again. T.T Anyhow, enjoy!**

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**3. Never Trust Strangers**

"Where'd you think this Hueco Mundo could be, Grimm?" Erika asked, turning her head as if it could be just around the corner.

"I dunno, but it certainly ain't in this shithole. There's gotta be some special entrance or a portal…" Grimmjow blabbed a bit absent-mindedly. He was trying to picture what does the home of the Hollows look like. Something good for sure, he thought. Erika shivered.

"Hmm? What is it, Eri?" Grimmjow turned to her; she looked as if she was having a fever.

"I'm not so sure…Whether all this is a good idea…" she murmured under her breath. The ginger was having a headache, the worst one yet. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Eh? Come on, don't tell me that you've chickened out already!" Grimmjow scolded, making a small smile.

"No, never. It's just…I have a bad feeling" Erika replied. Her voice got weaker; the headache was throbbing her skull more and more.

"Is that the so-called 'woman's intuition'? To hell with that, save it for Hueco Mundo!" said Grimmjow carelessly, raising his chin. Erika didn't reply. She grasped her forehead, hoping that it'll get better soon. Something was troubling her indeed. Some strange, unusual energy. It's source was nearby, she could sense it, but she wasn't sure exactly where.

In the next second, she flinched.

"Grimm!"

"Huh?"

Erika pointed to their right, towards a near dead-ended street. From the shadows, a big, pitch black figure with a large white mask revealed itself. It was huge and walked on all four.

"So you noticed me, bravo!" the creature complimented with a wild grin. Its voice was terrifying and inhumane.

"What the fucking hell is that?!" Grimmjow exclaimed bluntly pointing his finger at the monster.

"Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you?" it laughed in response. This angered the navy-haired man, and he wasn't hiding it at all.

"Well, I guess you're newbies, so I might as well introduce myself" the beast's tone was polite. Without a warning, it sprung back on its hind limbs and roared. Its roar was ear-trashing, and it made Erika's headache even worse. When the roar finally silenced, the black figure was on all fours again.

"I am a Hollow, Fishbone D is my name. And your souls look delicious, so I'll call you lunch!" the creature declared with sheer pleasure, licking its lips and coaxingly observing the duo.

Grimmjow's anger got replaced with surprise.

"Wait, what was that just now? You said you're a Hollow?" he questioned excited.

"Yes. I eat souls and pawn pathetic little spirits such as you two" said the Hollow joyfully. Erika and Grimmjow exchanged looks.

"Listen, we want to become Hollows too. Can you tell us how? Can you take us to Hueco Mundo?" Grimmjow couldn't fight his curiosity, so he kept asking questions, without being patient enough to wait for the answer.

The night-colored Hollow laughed. "You want to become Hollows? Now, I don't get to hear something like that every day," the Hollow cried out, "And what if I refused to tell you? And besides, don't you want to go to the precious Soul Society?"

The ginger let go off her head, and stared at her companion. He gave her a confident nod.

"Look," he turned back to the giant Hollow, "Fishbone or whatever…We've already had one of the Shinigamis tell us about that 'society', and he also mentioned Hollows and Hueco Mundo. We refused to go to that place because we'd rather spend our time gathering power and fighting, than sitting around and wasting time. We've made up our minds and vowed to become Vasto Lorde no matter what. We came this far and there's no turning back. So please, don't fuck around and help us!" Grimmjow's speech made the Hollow narrow his eyes. Erika's headache had vanished, and she had her glare fixated on the black stranger before them.

"My, my," the Hollow said somewhat absent-mindedly, "Been a bloody long time since I saw such a confident and battle-thirsty spirit. You surely have the guts for Hueco Mundo, kid. Dunno about your girl friend though…"

"Eri is brave too, don't get your ass worried for her" Grimmjow looked at Erika with a smile, and she made one in return. Fishbone D huffed.

"Psh, if you want to go to that damned desert that badly, it's fine by me. It's your life, screw it up how you think it's best" he said with obvious disapproval.

"Yeah yeah. Now shut your ass and lead us!" Grimmjow ordered, smoothly drawing his fingers through his hair. Erika gulped in expectation.

"Alright. One more thing: watch the language, kid. Nobody likes being sworn at, especially at Hueco Mundo, where you can easily piss off a tough guy and get your ass kicked or eaten. Just sayin' " murmured the Hollow in response. He turned around and retreated into the dead-ended street from which he came from, slightly adding "Follow me."

Grimmjow and Erika paced behind him, both ready for anything. Their journey for power was gonna be up pretty soon, and they were both very anxious to start.

The monster stopped.

"Right, I'll use the Garganta to open a passage to Hueco Mundo now. You can't come with me because you're both just simple spirits. I'll be back in a few with a couple of my friends, and we'll turn you into Hollows. Deal?" Fishbone spoke.

"Deal" Grimmjow nodded in agreement. In a second, a massive hole in the sky opened. Its inside was dark and blurry, filled with something that looked like dancing shadows. The Hollow jumped up and sprung right into the hole.

"Stay where you are, I'll be right back!" he shouted the second before the hole zipped up and disappeared, leaving a usual clear blue sky behind it.

The two friends were left by themselves yet again.

"This is it, Eri! Just a little longer, and we'll get a chance to kick some ass!" yelled Grimmjow encouragingly, and grinned. Erika tried her best to hide the fear that was eating her from the inside.

"That's great, Grimm" she responded. But the picture of the thing they just met remained alive in her mind; it was horrible and scary. And she wasn't sure whether they could trust it. She remembered how her mother told her to never trust or talk with strangers. The same headache from before had returned, along with the strange feeling in her abdomen.

But even if they wanted to, it was too late to do anything now. The hole in the sky, or rather, the Garganta, opened again, and it showed Fishbone D, accompanied by two other Hollows similar to himself. All three of them landed softly before the duo, cornering them.

"Ah, you're finally here! Come on, start already, make us powerful!" demanded Grimmjow. The Hollows exchanged glances; each of them grinned.

Suddenly, all three of the black beasts locked on Grimmjow. They menacingly stepped towards him, their noses aiming roughly at his chest, and their eyes illuminated by the mad craving to tear him apart. The navy-haired man watched them in surprise.

"What? What the hell are you...?" Fishbone cut into his unfinished question. "Did you really believe me when I said that I'd help you? You're so naïve, kid! Your soul is unique and unusually strong, and we mustn't let you go. By eating you, we will prosper, and eventually, evolve." Grimmjow bluntly stared at the night-colored trio, still not being able to cope with what was going on.

The chief Hollow seemed immensely entertained by this youngster's expression.

"There's no point in being powerful when you don't know how to use your brain. As I said when we met, kid," Fishbone lustily licked his lips, "You're not the sharpest knife in the drawer."

The Hollows were slowly diminishing the distance between them and Grimmjow and Erika; there was no place to hide or run. They were doomed for sure.

"Goodbye, kiddo"

"I won't let you!"

The ginger emerged in between the Hollows and her friend; she spread out her arms as wide as possible and shielded Grimmjow.

"Don't eat him! Take me instead!" she yelled, trying to sound serious, even though her voice was shaking and her lips were quivering. Fishbone laughed, and so did his companions.

"Your little soul is not as half as strong and delicious as his! You're not worth dealing with. Now move away and keep it down, and we might spare you" he said upon finishing his ugly screech of a laughter. Erika narrowed her dark green eyes, and gathering all the might she had left, she inferred "Only over my dead body."

"Tch, how annoying," said the Hollow to Fishbone's right. "Beat it, shorty!" he slammed the ginger on the cheek and she flew away, hitting the wall with her skull. Her forehead started bleeding and she coughed blood.

"Erika!" Grimmjow yelled with a somewhat frightened tone, and made a small step towards her, but the black menaces were so close now that they prevented him from moving any nearer.

Grimmjow faced the three Hollows by himself; the first to attack him was Fishbone. It was a direct fist punch, and Grimmjow easily dodged it, using the instinct his soul and spiritual energy gave him. He jumped into the air, over Fishbone's head, and kicked the Hollow on his left. The latter let out a loud scream of pain, and when Grimmjow dealt him another blow into the head, his mask had broken down and he had disappeared. Successfully dodging Fishbone's blunt kick again, he managed to assault the other Hollow, in the same way he did to the one beforehand. And then, their betrayer was left all alone.

Erika got up on her knees and watched the sight in awe.

"Just as I thought" D mumbled. He jumped up and a moment after, started landing with enormous speed, aiming to crush Grimmjow to death. But that wasn't happening with Grimmjow's speed and reflexes. The monster bumped right into the pavement underneath, and screamed in painful, mortal agony. The navy-haired man stepped on his chest; a gesture that indicated who's top dog. The moment he did, Fishbone started breathing heavily.

"Now, tell me how do I become a Hollow, or I'll cut off your fucking limbs and feed them to your corpse!" Grimmjow was highly furious. He hated that he had gotten betrayed and wanted to rip this black weirdo to shreds. Fishbone grinned.

"And what if I refuse again?" he inquired playfully. Grimmjow smirked; he stomped D's chest to which the Hollow reacted with coughing some blood.

"You have to destroy the Chain of Fate. Once you do, you'll lose your heart, and you'll be driven by hopeless longing to devour and eat other souls for the rest of eternity! That's what you want, right, kiddo?!" Fishbone yelled, spilling some more blood.

"Don't call me _kiddo_. I am Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, and I will rule Hueco Mundo and all the shit that lives there! Including asswipes like you!" the muscled man's sky-blue eyes shone. He moved his foot up to the Hollow's neck, attempting to break it and choke him. But D simply grinned.

"Curse you…May you have a tragic and pitiful life full of hardships, kiddo. I wish you that from the bottom of my heart." The Hollow snickered.

"But…I don't have a heart!" the beast pointed out. He opened his mouth wide and started shrieking hysterically. Grimmjow flinched. The Hollow's 'laugh' pierced his brain and made his senses useless. He was forced to release him and back away; in a second, the Hollow sprung up into the sky, and oddly, disappeared.

Erika ran straight to Grimmjow.

"Grimm, are you okay?!" she asked worriedly. Grimmjow sighed.

"That sick son of a bitch…" he mumbled annoyed, "But at least he told us how to become Hollows."

"Yes. Let's take a small rest, and then we'll destroy that…Chain" Erika glanced at her chest. The said Chain really was there. Hers had some signs of corrosion on it, while Grimmjow's was far more wrecked.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: T's been a long time since I rock 'n' rolled. B|**

**Eyo peoples, wassup? Long time no see, I know, but maths brainwashed me and took away my enthusiasm and inspiration, so I had to make a century-long delay. =_= But hey, I'm here with a new chappie now, so t's alright. R&R please, and of course, enjoy!**

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**4. Gillian Days**

The sun was setting, and the night was slowly taking over the endless blue mass known as the sky. Streets were getting emptier hour by hour, as the warm evening breeze sang about the story of the summer. Dark shadows danced from one place to the other, slowly dying away from the lack of sunlight.

Sitting in a corner of the dead-ended street, two figures cuddled close to each other.

"Grimm…" the ginger breathed.

"Let's do it" he replied.

It isn't necessary to say that the blue-haired male was anxious; you could clearly read it from his eyes, which raced from one point to another, his lightning-fast heartbeat, and his fastened breath. The ginger got up as well. She put her hand on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, making a deep sigh. He clenched his fists.

"Grimm…If we're really gonna do this…Then…We have to get into it with our heads cool. We can make it, I know it. D-Don't you think?" she murmured, trying to hide her trepidation for the umpteenth time.

Grimmjow suddenly turned around; Erika flinched. He looked deeply into her eyes, examining their every bit. A soul full of fear and worry, but a loyalty that surpassed far beyond the limits. That's what he saw.

"Just relax" he grinned and punched her shoulder. Now it was her who looked into his sky-colored eyes. A soul so cluttered with a desire for mass-destruction and an insane proportion of blood-thirst and obstinacy, yet with a hidden, far more friendly and nice side, that only those closest to him have permission to experience. That's what she saw.

Grimmjow was the one to finally break the silence. He gripped his chain tightly, ready to rip it out once and for all. Erika did the same.

"Okay, on three. One…" Grimmjow started counting. The ginger gulped. She didn't have the strength to keep her head straight anymore. All of her old memories she tried to suppress were coming back to her as she was tightening the grip on her chain.

"Two."

Her eyes were watery, and the memory of her mother burnt up inside her like a forest fire, and it spread out throughout her body.

_I must not give up._

She bit her lip to prevent her eyes from turning into waterfalls.

_I must stay strong._

"Three!"

Erika pulled as hard as she could, and after a few strong pulls, the Chain of Fate separated from her body. Her verdant eyes widened as she observed the metal cable fall to the ground in slow motion, with a loud clank.

And in that moment, everything went completely blank. Colors passed around her with blinding speed, whirling and sparkling, disintegrating and blurring. The ginger felt dizzy, but she didn't collapse or fall.

Suddenly as it started, the expeditious motion stopped. Erika found herself in a vast, grey desert. It was night, and the moon was the only light.

"This must be…"

"…Hueco Mundo."

The fairly familiar, manly voice gave Erika a tingling sentience. But, in terms of appearance, it wasn't him at all. He was taller, with a long white nose and in a black tone. He also had some bone-like structures perking out of his neck.

"Grimm? What happened to you?" she asked stupefied. He turned his head and looked at her with his once sky-blue eyes, which were now replaced with empty, black tunnels.

"Like you're the one to speak! You look just the same!" he said in a defensive way. Erika gasped; looking downwards, she saw a black mass, the same one Grimmjow was formed of, and that was now her body. She stared in disbelief.

"Don't worry, I saw more guys who look like this. This's the Gillian phase, and Gillians are all annoyingly damn alike, so this's normal. Don't get your shit wrought up just yet" the male said confidently, turning away. Erika wasn't sure how much time did she need to calm down, but you surely couldn't have a sense for time in a place like this. She felt disoriented and lost.

Suddenly, Grimmjow started to move, without a word. The ginger decided to follow him, although, it didn't look like they had anywhere to go. They kept walking towards the Moon, and not a single soul was there to greet them or even attack. It all seemed so pointless to the verdant-eyed girl, but she knew Grimmjow would get angry if she spoke a word against his plan. And thus, she owes him a favor, so she better keep her mouth shut and obey.

Lost in thought, she hit her friend's back.

"Hm?" she stepped back, observing Grimmjow's blackened figure, who was now still. He didn't reply; he kept staring in front of him. Erika stood beside him, and flinched upon the picture in front of them.

A horde of night-colored masked creatures such as their selves was marching by. They didn't seem to notice the pair.

"Let's join them" said Grimmjow.

"Are you s-sure? T-They don't seem v-very friendly…" Erika's voice was clearly shaking.

"Do you want to become Vasto Lorde with me or not? C'mon!" said the male in a truculent manner. Without a choice, Erika finally agreed and they both merged into the army of Gillians. Nobody, not even the Gillians, knew where and why they were going, but they just kept their heads and sharp noses up, advancing forward.

In all the commotion, Erika lost sight of Grimmjow, and was now surrounded by unknown fellows. She gulped and kept glancing at each of them with fear, praying to get out alive. And then, without a warning, one of the Gillians jumped up with its mouth open, going straight for Erika. She gaped and froze, not knowing what to do for a moment. The ginger jumped out of the group and the attacker followed her. They were in an open field now, and there was no place to hide.

"I must give praise to your reflexes, they are truly admirable" the Gillian suddenly spoke, with a lunatic grin. Erika kept staring at him, shaking form head to toes.

"But…How will they help you against my Cero?!" the creature cried out, opening its mouth, and a small, red sphere formed inside. It was pointed straight at Erika's head. She froze yet again, ready to be blown up to bits.

"Not on my watch, scumbag!" yelled an angered voice. Another Gillian jumped out of the army and kicked off the attacker. In a few swift moves, the Hollow lied dead in the sand.

"Grimm!" Erika yelled, realizing it was her friend who saved her. But he didn't reply just yet; his back turned to hers, and his head was low. When he finally faced her, blood was dripping down his jaw. The ginger's happiness faded upon seeing that. And thus, her attacker was gone.

"W-What…?" she attempted to ask, but her voice crashed. She could sense Grimmjow's soul shaking from excitement again.

"I ate him. I devoured his soul. And I gotta keep doing that if I wanna progress. You as well. Remember what that Shinigami prick said? Only a few Gillians have a mind of their own and are aware of what they're doing, and those few can become Adjuchas! Look at us, we're talking! And there are many here who can't do that. They're a joke, and we're gonna get 'em all!" he explained in his usual tone. Erika smiled to herself.

"I'm glad you're okay…" was her comment. It phased Grimmjow; at a time like this, when she should worry for her own evolution and gaining more power, she still cared about his well-being.

"Yeah…" he smirked almost silently. The ginger nodded.

"I still need to beat some damn confidence in you, you're still so annoyingly soft…" he thought as he turned his back to her yet again. He leaped up and fell in the middle of the Gillian group, and started devouring each of them, soul by soul, no exceptions. Erika watched him in awe; he was really something. No matter what, he kept advancing in skill and power. He's gotten a lot stronger. He, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, was surely _worth_ following.

Soon after, at least it seemed like it was soon, Grimmjow was done with the nasty horde. He ate almost all of his fellows, and left a few for Erika to eat. She wasn't really sure how, but she imagined it being like eating candy or any other food. When she finally got the hang of it, the ginger walked up to Grimmjow.

"Thank you for saving me a few…" she bowed.

"Tsk! C'mon, we're friends, that's a normal thing to do!" he scolded.

"Yeah…'Friends'…" she added in a dream-like manner. But then she noticed some blue energy covered up Grimmjow in whole, and it was making him stronger by every second of its presence. Within a few minutes, there was no black masked-figure in front of Erika; instead, a panther-like creature was had replaced it, and it glared at her with sky-blue eyes that once belonged to a Human. The panther's claws were big and sharp, and it remained in a stealthy stance.

Erika gaped; Grimmjow had finally become an Adjuchas-class Menos.


End file.
